AASHTO Prepares for Annual Washington Briefing Meeting

February 24, 2023

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials will hold its 2023 Washington Briefing from February 28 to March 3 at the Hilton Washington D.C. Capitol Hill hotel.

[Above photo by AASHTO]

This annual legislative meeting gives attendees the opportunity to collaborate with transportation leaders from state departments of transportation, members of Congress, federal transportation officials, and other industry experts on a range of current and future policy matters, including AASHTO’s 2023 Policy Action Agenda focused on the following topics:

  • Demonstrate implementation progress on $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA, enacted in November 2021.
  • Effectively implement federal discretionary grant programs.
  • Ensure consistency and flexibility of federal formula dollars.
  • Reauthorize the multiyear Federal Aviation Administration bill on time.

Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is one of the keynote speakers for the 2023 Washington Briefing, along with Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, which is overseen by USDOT and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Sen. Capito (at left) and Sen. Carper.

Also speaking at this year’s briefing are Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee;; Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), ranking member on the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), chair of the House T&I Highways and Transit Subcommittee.

AASHTO will also host a federal modal agency roundtable to discuss transportation safety and the impact of the IIJA.

Photo by AASHTO

That roundtable will feature Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration; Robin Hutcheson, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator; and Veronica Vanderpool, deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration.

Other sessions scheduled for this year’s event include knowledge sessions focused on how state departments of transportation can engage more effectively with “non-traditional” partners and the key role state DOTs can play in helping de-carbonize transportation.

There will also be a special “Equity in Infrastructure Project” pledge-signing ceremony for state DOTs committing to create opportunities for historically underutilized businesses or HUBs as they disburse IIJA funding.

To review the full agenda for the 2023 Washington Briefing, click here.

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